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Belter Creole
Belter Creole is the patois language spoken by many people who have grown up in the Asteroid Belt. It's a mix of several Earth languages that were spoken by the original human settlers in the Belt colonies. Note: Nick Farmer, the linguist creating Belter Creole, has noted that the languages specified are the inspiration for the words - they are not necessarily directly pulled from the language. Words and expressions "Acima" = up/towards the outer skin of a station or ship (portuguese) "ámolof" - love (noun) "Audi" = hear "Beltalowda" = us belters "Belówt" = Blood "Beratna" = Brother "Bodzha" = Explosion "Copain/Copeng" = friend (French) "Coyo" = guy, person "Dangsin-eun junbiga?” = are you ready? (Korean) "Desh tim detim mang im mowsh leva sif xox" = "There is a time when a man must stand up" "Dui" = true (Chinese) "Ereluf" = Air "Felota" = floating "Gonya" = going to/will be "Gútegow" - ready, prepared, set "Da Rosi im gútegow xitim!" “Hoy" = hey, hello "Ido" = dock, exit, out "imbobo" = holes "Inyalowda" = inners / non-belters "Kaka" = shit / excrement "Ke" = forms a yes/no question if used at the end of a sentence, can be combined to make other question words as seen below. "Keting" = What "Kemang" = Who "Ketim" = When "Ken" = I understand (from German kennen, to know) "Kennst" = you understand (see above) "Keya" = ? "Kowlmang" = Everyone/Everybody. (as in Kowlmang, gotta die sometime) "Kowlting" = Everything "Ji-ral" = bullshit (Korean) "La" = no (Arabic) "leta go fongi fode" - to arrest, (or in this case, kidnap) "Mali" = Little "Milowda" = we/us “Mit?” = do you want to come with me? (German) "Na" = no/not "Na khorocho" = not good (Russian) "Nichts" = nothing (German) "Orbas" = eyes "Owkwa" = water "Que si?" = right? (Spanish) "Pampaw" = grandfather "Pashang" = Expletive, from Chinese 爬上, "to mount." "Paxoniski" = short person, (an insult), from Spanish 'bajo' and Polish 'niski' "Paxopigi" = an even stronger insult for a short person "Pomang" = Martian, Duster. From Portuguese 'po' (dust) and English 'man'. "Pow" = now "Sa" = so "Sasa ke" = do you know? "Sasa ke which side you're on?" "Sabe" = you know (Spanish/Portuguese) "Sabez" = I know "Sa-sa" = to know about (possibly derived from Sabe/z?) "Sabaka" = belter swear (from Russian собака, or dog) "Sefesowng" - safe "Setara" = Star "Schlauch" = transit tube (German) "Shapu" = Hat "Sif" = yourself "Spin" = spinward, in the direction of a station or ship's rotation "Tenye wa yitim gut!" = Happy New Year! "To" = you "Tolowda" = you(plural) (you all) "Toda" = all (Spanish/Portuguese) "Towchu" - Slave (From Mandarin 驮畜 - tuó chù "beast of burden") "Tumang" - Earther (From Chinese 土 tǔ meaning earth + English man) "Unokabátya" = cousin (Hungarian) “Üzgün" = sorry (Turkish) "Well wala" = A belter obsessed with the inner planets, or, less literally, "traitor to your people" ('well' as in gravity well, 'wala' is Hindi) "Xetamang tili du xeta" = Haters gonna hate (Where x is pronounced like the j in Spanish) "Xia na pelesh to" = "this isn't your place" "Yáterash" - under thrust "Zakomeng" = police officer, cop Suffixes "-lowda" = plural marker for pronouns Structure "to wash im" = you wash him "to gonya wash im" = you will wash him "to gonya kang wash im" = you will be able to wash him Physical gestures Belter language is accompanied by several physical idioms, due to the need to be able to communicate while wearing space suits. *Lifting the hand: Asking a question *Lifting a fist: Greeting; nodding, affirmative * Shrugging is done with one or both hands * Nail of index finger touching the thumb's inner side between the 2 digits, forming a circle, while the other 3 fingers are straight: derogatory gesture, belter equivalent of "f*ck you" or "giving the finger"